![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Sunday, August 26th, 2007 01:12 pmCell phone plan comparisons, mostly pre-paid/pay-as-you-go ones
(in progress....)
Tracfone
1 year (400 min) - $100
1 year (800 min) - $140 - (you also get double minutes on any future airtime purchases for the lifetime of the phone)
coverage
Suncom - (a local provider in the SE U.S.)
"GoodCall" prepaid plan...
* Free nationwide long distance
* No roaming fees
15 days (100 min) - $10
30 days (200 min) - $20
60 days (400 min) - $40
90 days (600 min) - $60
weblink - 1 cent/KB (including roaming)
coverage
Boost mobile
20 cents/min (local and long-distance)
10 cents/min (nights and weekends)
35 cents/day (wireless web)
faq
Must "recharge" at least once every 90 days to keep account active.
Minimum recharge amount is $20, so the minimum cost per year is $80 (?).
(There is also "instant re-boost" which is for $10... does that count for keeping the account active too?)
coverage - looks like mostly cities & interstates; not as big a coverage area
Only one phone ($120) has built-in camera.
Net 10
60 days (300 min) - $30
120 days (600 min) - $60
180 days (1000 min) - $100
coverage
When you add airtime, the minutes are added to your existing remaining minutes,
but the number of days of service is reset based on the airtime's number of days
(the previous remaining number of days are not carried over).
helio (not pre-paid)
Unlimited web browsing is included in plans... starting at 500 min - $65/month.
Unlimited nights & weekends is included.
2-year term agreement.
One phone (Ocean - $295) includes built-in keyboard.
coverage - looks like data services only available in cities and near interstates.
terms and conditions
Virgin Mobile
18 cents/min (no monthly fee)(add at least $20 every 90 days to keep service)
10 cents/min (plus $6.99 and taxes/surcharges per month)
monthly plans
100 min - $15
200 min - $25
300 min (plus 1000 night/weekend) - $35
coverage - mostly in cities and near interstates.
T-Mobile prepaid
1 year (1000 min) - $100
"Sidekick" rates - Get unlimited e-mail, Web browsing, domestic instant messaging, and domestic text messaging for $1 per day, and spend only $0.15 per minute for nationwide calls.
(still not sure if this is available in SC...??? When I enter my zip code on their site, it says they don't provide service here.)
STI Mobile
10¢/min plus a 10¢ daily fee
or
7.9¢/min plus a 25¢ daily fee
or
$49.99/month with 100 anytime minutes and unlimited nights and weekends (nights are from 7:00pm to 6:59am)
19¢/day for Web Browsing - Includes CNN and ABC news, email and Instant Messaging with Yahoo!, weather, CBS Sports, Bloomberg Finance News and stock quotes.
$5 activation fee.
Does not support roaming (?) - if you go out of the coverage area, phone won't work.
Must make or receive at least one call each 60 days or account will be deactivated.
Must not have a $0 balance for more than 14 days or account will be deactivated.
Coverage
Kajeet (geared towards kids)
10 cents/min
plus 35 cent daily access fee
Firefly (geared towards kids)
25 cents/min
Phones have only 5 keys.
ATT GoPhone (pay as you go)
10 cents/min plus 1$ daily fee, but only on days you use the phone
or
25 cents/min
30 days - $15
90 days - $25
1 year - $100
MediaNet - 1 cent/kiloByte
This page lists several other plans:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=824482
(in progress....)
Tracfone
1 year (400 min) - $100
1 year (800 min) - $140 - (you also get double minutes on any future airtime purchases for the lifetime of the phone)
coverage
Suncom - (a local provider in the SE U.S.)
"GoodCall" prepaid plan...
* Free nationwide long distance
* No roaming fees
15 days (100 min) - $10
30 days (200 min) - $20
60 days (400 min) - $40
90 days (600 min) - $60
weblink - 1 cent/KB (including roaming)
coverage
Boost mobile
20 cents/min (local and long-distance)
10 cents/min (nights and weekends)
35 cents/day (wireless web)
faq
Must "recharge" at least once every 90 days to keep account active.
Minimum recharge amount is $20, so the minimum cost per year is $80 (?).
(There is also "instant re-boost" which is for $10... does that count for keeping the account active too?)
coverage - looks like mostly cities & interstates; not as big a coverage area
Only one phone ($120) has built-in camera.
Net 10
60 days (300 min) - $30
120 days (600 min) - $60
180 days (1000 min) - $100
coverage
When you add airtime, the minutes are added to your existing remaining minutes,
but the number of days of service is reset based on the airtime's number of days
(the previous remaining number of days are not carried over).
helio (not pre-paid)
Unlimited web browsing is included in plans... starting at 500 min - $65/month.
Unlimited nights & weekends is included.
2-year term agreement.
One phone (Ocean - $295) includes built-in keyboard.
coverage - looks like data services only available in cities and near interstates.
terms and conditions
Virgin Mobile
18 cents/min (no monthly fee)(add at least $20 every 90 days to keep service)
10 cents/min (plus $6.99 and taxes/surcharges per month)
monthly plans
100 min - $15
200 min - $25
300 min (plus 1000 night/weekend) - $35
coverage - mostly in cities and near interstates.
T-Mobile prepaid
1 year (1000 min) - $100
"Sidekick" rates - Get unlimited e-mail, Web browsing, domestic instant messaging, and domestic text messaging for $1 per day, and spend only $0.15 per minute for nationwide calls.
(still not sure if this is available in SC...??? When I enter my zip code on their site, it says they don't provide service here.)
STI Mobile
10¢/min plus a 10¢ daily fee
or
7.9¢/min plus a 25¢ daily fee
or
$49.99/month with 100 anytime minutes and unlimited nights and weekends (nights are from 7:00pm to 6:59am)
19¢/day for Web Browsing - Includes CNN and ABC news, email and Instant Messaging with Yahoo!, weather, CBS Sports, Bloomberg Finance News and stock quotes.
$5 activation fee.
Does not support roaming (?) - if you go out of the coverage area, phone won't work.
Must make or receive at least one call each 60 days or account will be deactivated.
Must not have a $0 balance for more than 14 days or account will be deactivated.
Coverage
Kajeet (geared towards kids)
10 cents/min
plus 35 cent daily access fee
Firefly (geared towards kids)
25 cents/min
Phones have only 5 keys.
ATT GoPhone (pay as you go)
10 cents/min plus 1$ daily fee, but only on days you use the phone
or
25 cents/min
30 days - $15
90 days - $25
1 year - $100
MediaNet - 1 cent/kiloByte
This page lists several other plans:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=824482